🇯🇵 JPN vs. 🇧🇬 BUL - Highlights Week 1 _ Men s VNL 2023

Sure, of course. Shida! Left-handed cross. Mahashi! Gets blocked. Here's Nikolov. Received by Yuki Ishikawa. Shida there, Bulgaria. Can't stop round, though. Tempo set to the pin. Huge swing. On the outside. It goes to Sekita. Sekita, we can see here on this jump set, there's... Yamamoto. Taishi Onodera. Segano. Russian squad. That is vicious from Asparov. Service. Couldn't quite convert the overpass. But converted it. Have quite that luxury. Floats it in. Blocked. Taishi Onodera takes it home. Going after every ball. Great passing from Japan. One-handed set to the quick attack. Relentless is the word, isn't it? The energy expended by both teams in the first block. Dozen or so points just to keep the ball off the floor. Absolutely incredible. Playing a little bit of... Oh, it's close. It's not just close, it's good. Japan respond with an ace of their own. Life in the early stages of set number two. Again, to float, serve, and Sekita. Teaser. Takahashi. Oh, wow. Tanasov and Kolev up next to each other to point to Bulgaria. They just look ahead. Halfway stage. The second set. A sputter hop off the net. To Sekita. There's Yuki Ishikawa. Puts that one on Nikolov. Well, this is Yugo Aigo of the very highest order as a Tanasov. Off the bench, making a difference. Service from Kolev. Yeah. So aggressively, so dynamically. But Japan, they have to be dynamic and quick. Yeah. Sekita. With a topspin. I mean, quick arm swing and height. To serve. Dealt with by Bozhilov. A sputter hop. Lovely touch. This service substitution looking inspired. That's another good one on a Tanasov. Oh, what a block. It's a good touch to return it. On the first ball, great serve. Oh, and then overpassed. Second set. Delivered by Ran Takahashi. Masahiro Sekita. A Tanasov with the first touch. Big chase. Great pick up. Ishikawa. Second offsets. Nikolov swings. Bulgaria score. Great contact by the sputter hop. By Nishida. Turned a 3-1 deficit into a 5-4 lead. And then Kolev levels the score. Grosz Danow. Sekita. Oh! Yuki Ishikawa. A sputter hop. Lovely pass. It's the same. And it's just quick for the wrist. There's no shoulder give. There's no slight tilt in his hips. It's the same. Aren't we all? Here is Sekita. Set again by Grosz Danow. Press your hands over that net Ishikawa. That's true. Sekita. Speaking of style points. Nishida. A Tanasov. 14-15. Good pass from Ran. Good hands on the swing from Bulgaria. Here we go. Another chance. Grosz Danow in at setter. Steps in. Here he has turned to ride the wave. Ride the wave they do. That is a great serve. And it might not have been swing. But it's somewhere hostile like Poland or Turkey. This feels very, very different. But there is just as much love in the room. Good club. Oh, wonderful pick up. The pancake's delicious. But the topping doesn't land yet. This block is purring. Which way is this point going to go? Oh, they've done it again, Japan. Alexander. And receive it he has. It's the captain. Float serve. That is some swing from Nishida. A Tanasov in. But he's replaced by the libero. Nikolov. Oh, it's done. Nishida. Again receives. Great, that's the challenge. Japan have already started celebrating. Is there a net touch? No. Nowhere near. And Japan have done it again. Three sets.